The present invention relates generally to pond heaters for use in preventing livestock water supplies from freezing over in cold weather and, more particularly, to such heaters which are entirely self contained.
1. Field of the Invention
The agricultural community is clearly an integral part of the economy. Within that community is the farmer who raises livestock for both meat and milk. To such farmers, the health and well being of his or her livestock is at the root of their existence.
Such enterprises are not found entirely in the grassy climes of the Southwest. Indeed, the rancher is found wherever the market exists, and that may be in Wisconsin, which is famous as a dairy state, as well as other Northern states. Such states routinely experience freezing temperatures, and, even in Missouri and the Carolinas, freezing temperatures are a concern to the farmer/rancher because his herd lives outside in the weather. Irrespective of the temperature or the geographic location, animal herds need water for their very existence and, obviously, if the water source is frozen over, the herds that depend on that water suffer and even die.
While years ago the farmer/rancher would go out to the pond, or other water source, and literally break the ice which covered it, such effort was often an exercise in frustration because, depending on the weather, the ice would quickly reform, and the cycle would repeat itself over and over again.
What was needed, of course, was some way to keep ice from forming on a water source. However, unless the source was a water tank in proximity to a power source, the task was daunting. The reality is that, at least as to those water sources which are natural, e.g., a pond out in the pasture, ingenuity was required to achieve the desired result. Enter the pond heater.
2. Overview of the Prior Art
Since at least the end of WWII, man has attempted to create a pond heater which would stabilize a natural water source by preventing the surface from being frozen over. Such an early attempt is found in Hancock U.S. Pat. No. 2,512,934 wherein a 55 gallon drum of fuel, presumably oil, is attached to a burner, and the combination placed on skids and partially submerged in a water source, which will be referred to, cumulatively, as a pond for simplicity.
The Hancock unit was fraught with problems. It had to be carefully positioned in the pond so as to be horizontal. It had to be lighted and kept lit, and it was highly susceptible to being damaged by inadvertent contact with livestock attempting to get water, just to name a few.
Tibbits, in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,709,408, suggests the placement of a gas heater in a cylinder to heat water within that cylinder. An external gas source is required to feed the heater through conduit 34. A supporting frame is required to stabilize the heater, but there is the ever present danger of the conduit being severed, and/or the heater being tipped over by an anxious animal, and where there are several animals all trying to fit into a small space to get water, the danger is magnified.
Porter, in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,051,162, suggests a submersible heater within a conventional watering tank and an external fuel supply. Similarly, Thousault, et al., in their U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,902 suggests a submersible heater for industrial liquids, and Laugh at et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,345,400 teaches a sled having a combined heater and enclosed tank for water. Fine U.S. Pat. No. 2,430,165 espouses a similar approach.
Casc has caused his application to be published at US 2002/0136545, and it relates to an electric heater with a very long extension cord. It appears to have commercial appeal in that it is being offered commercially on the Internet by KandH Manufacturing. The external connection creates some very practical problems, especially for use out in a pasture well away from an electrical source.
The prior art chronicled above presents a veritable litany of significant practical problems for the farmer/rancher who wants to avoid the necessity of watching his watering pond to be sure that it is kept free of ice. It is to the existence of these problems that the pond heater of the present invention is addressed.
Specifically, the present invention teaches a self contained liquid or gas fueled pond heater which is devoid of external connections, partially submersible, and highly efficient, so much so as to be affordable even by the small rancher.
Among the objectives to be accomplished by the present invention is the provision of a pond heater having the foregoing characteristics and which is not readily capsized by livestock moving about it. A further objective is to provide such a pond heater which will remain fired, despite being jostled by livestock, and even in the strong winds commonly experienced in the more open venues.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a pond heater which is exceptionally compact and, thus, easily handled by the farmer/rancher, while at the same time, once lit, being sufficiently powerful as to create an area about it which is free of ice and, due to the efficient nature of the device, will maintain the ice free area for several days at a time.
The foregoing, as well as other objectives and advantages of the pond heater of the present invention, will become evident from a reading of the following Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: